Skip to main content

What I've Been Reading This Week


Every so often, I come across an article that turns the conversation on a particular topic on its head.  This was one of those weeks.  Dale Buss wrote an article earlier this week which makes a compelling case for why rising minimum wage rates across the country might actually be having unintended & unwanted consequences.  From depressed labor workforces in certain industries to a lack of a reduction in poverty among hourly workers, Buss makes a strong case for why rising minimum wage rates might actually be killing jobs and leading to higher costs that are passed onto consumers.  If you are going to read one article this week, this is the one to read.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


A Sobering Look at the Realities of Rising Minimum Wage Rates

Readers might recall minimum wage rates have been a hot button issue recently (well it has been for a while, but picked up during the past election cycle).  Dale Buss recently wrote an article for Area Development which provides one of the more frank, if not honest, examinations of the economic and fiscal realities of rising minimum wage rates across the country.  Buss painstakingly walks readers through the facts and parses the data to show that rising minimum wage rates across the country might be the catalyst for a potential recession.



At some of Amazon's fulfillment centers in Germany, the company has introduced a sick leave policy that rewards employees for not taking sick leave.  These employees can earn a bonus ranging from 6% - 10% of their monthly salary if they have used few (or none) of their paid sick days.  However, there is a stipulation that these top bonuses can only be achieved if fellow employees also do not take sick leave that month as well.  This 'peer pressure' sort of incentive program has come under fire in Germany with many legal experts expecting it to be challenged.  Regardless of the viability of this type of sick leave incentive program, at the very least, it is an innovative concept.



Earlier this month, a federal judge in Seattle temporarily halted the implantation of a law that would allow drivers of ride hailing companies like Uber and Lyft to unionize over wages and working conditions.  This matter arises out of a suit brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce who has sought to prevent unionization by these drivers.  In announcing his decision to temporarily halt the implementation of the law, Judge Robert Lasnik indicated the move should not be interpreted as an indication of how he would ultimately rule on the case.  Instead, Judge Lasnik stated additional time is needed to allow for a proper review of the law and whether it could survive judicial scrutiny.  If this law is upheld, it would likely pave the way for similar laws in other cities and states.  Stay tuned.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

NLRB: Former Employee Cannot Be Barred From Work Premises After Filing Wage Suit

MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC - NLRB Facts :  MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC d/b/a Grand Sierra Resort & Casino ("GSR") operated a facility that included a hotel, casino, restaurant, clubs, bars, and a pool which were all open to the general public.  Tiffany Sargent ("Sargent") was briefly employed by GSR as a "beverage supervisor" in December of 2012.  After her employment ended, Sargent continued to socialize at one of the clubs.  GSR had a long standing practice of allowing former employees to patronize its facility and did not prohibit Sargent from doing so.  In June of 2013, Sargent and another employee filed a class and collective action against GSR for alleged unpaid wages, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Nevada law.  In July of 2014, GSR denied Sargent access to an event at one of the clubs.  GSR followed up with a letter and stated that with the on-going litigation (from the wage suit), it decided to bar Sargent from the premises. ...
1 comment
Read more

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations
Post a Comment
Read more